"Kuchiki Kōga, you have merit for suppressing the rebel Shinigami. I hereby appoint you Captain of First Division's First Detachment."
Outside the First Division office, Yamamoto looked at the young man standing ramrod-straight before him and spoke with stern authority.
"Thank you, Captain-Commander!"
A flash of excitement lit in Kuchiki Kōga's eyes.
Not long ago, because of his outstanding battlefield performance, he had been promoted to Third Seat of Sixth Division. Now, after leading a Shinigami force to yet another victory, he was being elevated again—directly into the Captain-Commander's personal unit as a detachment captain.
On paper it was a "promotion that was secretly a demotion," but in terms of status, it was a major rise.
Most importantly, the attention he could never get from his father-in-law… he was finally receiving here.
After all, when Kōga had been granted that Third Seat position, Kuchiki Ginrei had done it with obvious reluctance.
If the decision were based strictly on merit and strength, Kōga was more than qualified to be a vice-captain.
But in reality, Sixth Division's vice-captain was still Kuchiki Sōjun—Ginrei's eldest son, the heir named by both the clan head and the elders.
Even if he felt unfairly treated, Kōga still wanted to earn the elders' recognition through effort.
Yet no matter how hard he tried, Ginrei's attitude toward him remained unnaturally harsh—constantly warning him not to rely too much on his Zanpakutō's power.
But he was a Shinigami. If a Shinigami didn't rely on a Zanpakutō, what were they supposed to rely on?
Bare hands?
"Also, Kōga—those rebel Shinigami we captured earlier," Yamamoto added, as if remembering something. "You will escort them to the Central Prison."
"According to their crimes, the Central 46 has already issued an early judgment. They are to be imprisoned in the Third Layer, Sōgō Hell, for one thousand years."
"Yes, Captain-Commander!"
Kōga held deep respect for the elder who had promoted him.
Watching the young man leave, Yamamoto's gaze grew deeper.
Not far away, Sasakibe Chōjirō stepped out of the corner and placed several dossiers on the table. As he turned to leave, Yamamoto spoke again.
"Chōjirō—what do you think of Kuchiki Kōga as a person?"
Sasakibe paused. A thoughtful look crossed his face, and after a moment he replied in a low voice:
"In terms of talent and ability, he ranks among the top tier. But his temperament is poor—he's prone to extremism. That flaw makes him easy for other factions to exploit."
Yamamoto nodded.
After serving beside him for over a thousand years, Sasakibe's eye for people was sharp.
Even without much direct contact, he'd immediately spotted Kōga's greatest issue.
When Yamamoto first noticed Kōga, he thought the boy was promising material.
Strong, with a unique Zanpakutō.
Most importantly, fearless—he charged into battle against rebels again and again, even accepting wounds himself to reduce casualties on his own side.
A captain in the making.
But it didn't take long for Yamamoto to see the problem.
His temperament was too unstable.
Perhaps because of his origins, Kōga's standing within the Kuchiki household wasn't high. That made him sensitive and insecure at his core.
And as a rising star—an Academy prodigy who graduated in a single year—having some pride was only natural.
Those two extremes tangled together, making Kōga desperately crave proof of his worth and Ginrei's approval.
Unfortunately, Ginrei had the Kuchiki family's inherited "curse" of never speaking like a normal person.
In Ginrei's eyes, Kōga could only overcome his flaws after recognizing how serious they were.
Otherwise, he'd end up as someone else's pawn.
Two stubborn men locked together—Yamamoto couldn't fix that by force.
He couldn't exactly put Ryūjin Jakka to their throats and command them to change.
That kind of method only worked on rare individuals.
With the Kuchiki, it would only make things worse.
If you threatened them, they'd just tell you to cut them. Not an ounce of fear—impossible to reason with.
In the end, Yamamoto could only try transferring Kōga into First Division, hoping proper guidance would temper his character.
It was the best solution he could think of.
He only hoped it would work.
...
...
When Kuchiki Kōga finally escorted the rebel Shinigami to the Central Prison, he immediately noticed the place had changed significantly since his last visit.
The old Intake Room had been abolished, and there were far more jailers moving about than before.
But what truly surprised Kōga was seeing a few familiar faces in the crowd—
Shinigami who had once served in Sixth Division.
"Long time no see, Kōga-sama."
The one receiving the rebel Shinigami was still the most diligent, most responsible "workhorse" in the Central Prison—its de facto leader, Third Seat Naraku Sora.
"So these are the rebel Shinigami?" Naraku said, taking in the bound prisoners. "Leave them to me. I'll take good care of them."
He gave the group a gentle smile.
But to anyone watching, that smile looked downright sinister—his eyes gleaming with undisguised hunger, so intense it almost felt tangible.
Like a demon.
Naraku took the end of the chain and began hauling the prisoners deeper into the underground prison.
Watching his back, Kōga's face filled with confusion. He hesitated, wanting to speak—then stopping.
After standing there for a moment, he decided to follow. If he didn't ask, he knew he wouldn't sleep properly for days.
"Naraku-dono, I have something I'd like to ask."
"Go ahead."
"How is your standing in the Shihōin family?"
"I haven't really been there much," Naraku answered honestly. "But they're all pretty respectful to me."
He was too busy to breathe—training alone consumed him. He had no time to wander around the Shihōin estate.
Kōga looked like he'd been struck by lightning. His expression froze.
He'd assumed that since Naraku was also a "son-in-law" and hadn't contributed much to the Shihōin, the clan elders and relatives must treat him poorly.
He'd even planned to commiserate, maybe exchange strategies on how to earn recognition.
Instead, it turned out that although they were both "sons-in-law," their standing wasn't even remotely comparable.
Naraku seemed to realize something. He looked back over his shoulder.
"Kōga-sama… don't tell me in the Kuchiki family you—"
"No!" Kōga snapped, irritation flashing. "My father-in-law treats me very well. Everyone respects me. I've achieved outstanding merit for the Kuchiki clan. My standing in the family is…"
"…very high."
Looking at that stubborn face, Naraku grinned.
"What are you laughing at?!" Kōga grew more agitated. "I'm telling the truth."
Naraku didn't answer. He just patted Kōga's shoulder, giving him a "good luck" look, then continued leading the prisoners into the underground.
Watching him walk away, Kōga hesitated—then clenched his teeth and followed anyway.
~~~
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